MINIATURIZED CONNECTORS SPELL SUCCESS!
HIROSE ELECTRIC, one of the world's leading connector manufacturers, sees its role as niche player.
The Japanese company primarily develops and manufactures miniaturized connector solutions for consumer devices and is the market leader for mobile phone interface connectors and highly miniaturized coax connectors. With currently 3,975 employees around the globe, HIROSE's annual sales turnover exceeds 710 million euros. The company's largest market remains Asia, where HIROSE ranks among the top three connector suppliers, while European sales amount to 15% of total turnover.
The "niche" for new trends is indeed quite large, since consumer-market requirements play a key role in driving the development of new connectors. However, the company is also a player on other markets, such as the automotive and industrial, where its solutions are variants of products developed for the primary niche. HIROSE ELECTRIC thus remains focused on its core competence - the "bare component" - in an ongoing effort to expand this already successful path. Based on this strategy, HIROSE manages to develop new connector types at a high rate, while setting the market standard as it does so. The company explicitly rejects expanding the portfolio to include complete system solutions, thus drawing a clear line between it and competitors who use this as a strategy to escape the industry's high cost pressures.
The following is a small sampling of HIROSE's innovative connector series:
·HIROSE's newest product is the »DF36« series, a multi-pole micro-coaxial connector that ideally suits rotating displays in mobile phones. The connector permits 360° rotation in all directions and can also be used to connect laptop displays. Thanks to the high degree of miniaturization, assembly is made easier and more cost-effective. As a complete connector-cable assembly, the DF36 can be routed through the connecting joint, even for joints with a very small diameter.
·HIROSE's current top seller is the »DF30«, part of the company's board-to-board connector range. Production output is a healthy 30 million units each month. With a pitch of only 0.4mm and height of 0.9mm, it supports low-profile stacking. For board-to-board or board-to-FPC connections, stack height is a low 0.9mm. Other advantages are hidden in the details, such as the integrated tactile feedback feature and a vibration-proof design. Thanks to the large production volume, pricing is very competitive.
|
|
·The »U.FL« series is a quasi "standard" for the ultra-miniature coax connector market, elevating HIROSE to a leadership position among manufacturers of antenna connectors. And, the next generation of even smaller devices is already establishing itself on the market: The "W.FL" ultra-miniature coax connector is specified for a transmission rate of up to 6GHz, and that at a low height of approx. 1.55mm. The second generation W.FL2 has an even lower profile: less than 1.3mm, with the surface measuring 1.7mm x 1.7mm.
·The »FH26«, »FH28« and »FH29« connectors for flexible film cables (FFC) and flexible printed circuits (FPC) enable a simpler, yet more secure, insertion of the film. Especially for the smallest such applications where film insertion can be quite difficult, these connectors enable significantly reduced assembly times. They are equipped with a mechanism that ensures a fully closed connection. At a predetermined angle, the connection "falls" into the closed position. In addition, a tactile click is felt when the film is properly inserted. "Side catchers" (along the sides of the film) furthermore prevent the film from working loose and add resistance against tensile loads: During testing, up to 70N were required to pull the foil out of the connector.
For more information, please contact:
Christian Sichtar, EXT 38
|
